Housing & Development · Placer County
Placer County Approves $6M Loan for Biochar Facility Near Truckee
Placer County supervisors approved a loan of up to $6 million to Sierra Nevada Biochar LLC to build a biochar processing facility on 2.7 acres of county-owned land at the Eastern Regional Landfill, 900 Cabin Creek Road, south of Truckee. The loan carries a 10% annual interest rate over five years, with collateral including equipment, buildings, carbon credits, and assets across six Biochar Now LLC locations. The facility would process about 5,000 tons of forest debris annually—currently hauled up to 200 miles for disposal—into biochar for soil improvement and carbon storage. County officials acknowledged uncertainty about whether collateral would cover the loan if the company defaults, and a separate ground lease has not yet been approved. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027, with the facility projected to employ five full-time workers.